I grew up in Chelsea and Newton, Mass. and now make my home in Arlington. I taught high school in Haverhill and Burlington until 2007, and have been a writer for about as long as I was a teacher. Maybe longer. While much of my writing is business-
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I grew up in Chelsea and Newton, Mass. and now make my home in Arlington. I taught high school in Haverhill and Burlington until 2007, and have been a writer for about as long as I was a teacher. Maybe longer. While much of my writing is business-related, I also write whenever I travel and I travel whenever I can.

I awoke at 5:30 Friday morning to learn that one of the Marathon bomber suspects was dead, the other was the subject of a massive manhunt in a neighboring town. By Friday night, the second suspect was in custody. Those of us who had hunkered down in our homes behind locked doors, felt comfortable going outside again.

The now-familiar story will stay in the headlines for quite some time. Those who tragically lost their lives to cowardly terrorists have been laid to rest. Many of the first victims have gone home to face a future dealing with their injuries and their losses—but they will not be alone. Others have realized a week after the bombing that the hearing problems caused by the blast are not going away, and have begun visiting hospitals for help. The emotional scars will surely lead to more people seeking help and support.

In spite of all that has happened, the healing has begun.

As soon as the second suspect was taken away, people crowded the streets of Watertown to cheer the safety team, not just of that town, but all the nearby communities: Arlington, Belmont, Newton, Waltham, and more, who sent their police to support Watertown, Boston, the ATF, FBI, and Transit SWAT teams in conducting the search and protecting the public. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc2lYkta_t4

In a single week, the One Fund has received $20 million dollars to help the bombing victims.

The man whose boat had been the shelter for suspect #2 has received offers of money to replace his now-shot-up boat. He asked that the money go to the One Fund.

We found out that Big Papi has... colorful language…and we found out the FCC recognizes sometimes that is the right language.

I continue to feel great pride in my city, just as I feel tremendous gratitude to all those who rallied to our support. It’s true, we cannot take safety for granted. There is more security everywhere. We are more vigilant now -- but being watchful is not the same as being cowed. We will not be cowed. The marathon runners who went an extra two miles to donate blood proved that. The many who ran toward the blasts to help victims proved that.

I recently read the following by Scott Stewart* in Stratfor Global Intelligence (www. Stratfor.com)

It is the resilience of the population and its perseverance that will ultimately determine how much a terrorist attack is allowed to terrorize. By separating terror from terrorism, citizens can deny the practitioners of terror the ability to magnify their reach and power.

Boston is proving its resilience. We are stronger than ever. To paraphrase Big Papi: This is our freakin’ city, and nobody is gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong.